This invention relates to new and useful improvements in putting aids and more particularly is concerned with improvements in the structure shown in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,037,100.
My U.S. Pat. No. 5,037,100 was conceived to develop a good putting stroke and more particularly to develop a stroke with the important requisites of moving the putter in a square putting stroke, of accelerating the stroke at the ball, of building a controlled compact stroke with a feeling of alignment, and of injecting these fundamentals into muscle memory and other important requisites. This was accomplished in a structure using a base member having longitudinal guide means along which the putter can be directed whereby the golfer, when viewing a narrow alignment mark on the putter head from above is required to move the putter rearwardly and forwardly in straight line movements. Also, with proper positioning of the ball relative to the base member, a restricted back swing for the putter can be accomplished. These requirements develop the important fundamentals of putting that inject them into the said muscle memory. The longitudinal guide means comprise a pair of guide rods having cantilevered support on the base member above and parallel with the putting surface. These rods extend from the base member in a similar horizontal plane with a clearance space therebetween. This amount of spacing allows an alignment mark on a putter head to be readily sighted thereunder but with some lateral clearance while making a practice putting stroke with the putter.
The lateral clearance, which is wider than the alignment mark on the putter, works well in the usual circumstance but it may be desired by the more experienced golfers, that the guide rods be spaced rather closely to the putting surface to require the putter to move in a minimum arc in its backswing and follow through. Also, it may be desired by the more experienced golfers that the amount of lateral movement of the putter in its guided path be decreased so as to provide a very narrow sighting path for the alignment mark. Furthermore, some golfers may like vertical sighting means that can be used to practice putting with their eyes directly over the ball to form the line of the putt.